Gasket with integral channel and port seal

ABSTRACT

A novel gasket is provided for filling the space between two mating surfaces on components in an automotive transmission. The gasket includes one or more patches of silicone integrated into a portion of the gasket for providing one or more channels through the gasket, having leak proof seals at the ends of the channel. Bolt passage holes are spaced in the gasket to register with corresponding bolt holes in the mating surfaces. A channel aperture passes through the portion of the gasket augmented with the silicone patch, providing a channel between the mating surfaces. The ends of the channel define leak proof seals between the gasket and the mating surfaces for providing a leak proof fluid flow channel between the mating surfaces.

This application is a continuation application of co-pending applicationSer. No. 09/295,682 filed Apr. 21, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,388.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to gaskets for inserting between twomating surfaces for padding and/or filling spaces such as manufacturingtolerances in the surfaces and/or preventing intimate contact betweenthe two mating surfaces. The present invention more particularly relatesto gaskets for inserting between two mating surfaces wherein the gaskethas integrated therein a channel which permits communication between thetwo mating surfaces.

2. Prior Art

Gaskets are often used for filling in space and/or for padding betweentwo mating surfaces. It is normal that the spaces between two matingsurfaces are products of manufacturing tolerances and/or acceptabledefects in the mating surfaces of the components fitted together and/orthe potential space between the two mating surfaces where there is adifferent coefficient of thermal expansion between the materialsfabricating the surfaces on the two components that are mated. Inaddition, some gaskets are used to form seals between two matingsurfaces for preventing leakage between the mating surfaces.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,733 to Hartz, issued in April 1984, teaches a spacerwhich forms a gasket between two surfaces where the spacer is fabricatedfrom a special, elastomeric material, having a coefficient of thermalexpansion exceeding the coefficient of thermal expansion of the materialforming the components separated by the spacer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,794to Gibbons, issued in April 1986 teaches a joining and sealing gasketfabricated from special, heat cured silicone rubber with specific rubbercomposition, for filling a space between two surfaces. U.S. Pat. No.5,156,539 to Anderson et al, issued in October 1992 teaches a gasketdefined as a floating seal specifically for a scroll machine, forhermetically sealing the exterior shell of the scroll machine to preventleakage of fluid under pressure. The Hartz '733 patent and the Gibbons'794 patent each teach a spacer that provides a full seal between twomating surfaces. The spacer taught in both of these patents arefabricated from specific, expensive materials and are expensive tomanufacture. The Anderson et al teaching in the '539 patent provides acomplex, speciality floating seal, designed specifically for use in aparticular machine, a scroll machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a printed gasket for filling in gaps andspace between two mating surfaces, which gaps and/or spaces are definedby manufacturing tolerances and/or surfaces blemishes in the matingsurfaces. The gasket member includes one or more centrally locatedapertures for passing connector means, such as threaded bolts or screws,for example, through the gasket for securing and holding the componentsin a mating condition about the gasket. Integrated into a portion of thegasket member is a silicone blanket or patch which augments thethickness of the gasket member. At least one channel means, defined byan aperture passing through the augmented portion of the gasket memberis provided. The augmented portion of the gasket member further definesa seal means, at each end of the channel means, providing a leak proofseal between the channel means and the inlet and outlet port means inthe mating surfaces, when the inlet and outlet port means in the matingsurfaces are in registration with each other and with the channel means,for forming leak proof seals about the channel means ends and the inletport means and the outlet port means in the mating surfaces. The presentinvention provides a gasket for filling space between two matingsurfaces with silicone patches integrated into the gasket and at leastone aperture extending through the augmented portion of the gasket,providing a leak proof channel and end seals for providing leak prooffluid flow between the outlet port means in one mating surface and inletport means in the other mating surface, for maintaining a leak prooffluid flow between the two mated surfaces.

The present invention is especially useful for inserting between acenter support member and a hub member on a transmission of a motorvehicle. Preferably, the gasket is a circular member having spaced innerand outer circumferences with the width between the two circumferencessubstantially two to three times the length of the diameter of boltholes in the gasket, for passing coupling bolts between the centersupport member and the hub member through the gasket. The bolt holes inthe gasket member, are spaced to register with the bolt holes in themating surfaces of the center support member and the hub member.Preferably, the material from which the gasket member is fabricated isgasket material identified as Armstrong NV519, marketed by the ArmstrongCorporation, the gasket material having about 0.0085 inches thickness.However, other gasket material may be used, if desired. In registrationwith flow ports in the mating surfaces of the center support member andthe hub member, is a channel aperture in the gasket member. Integratedinto the gasket member and surrounding the channel aperture is a polymerbead or patch, such as silicone, for example. The portion of the gasketcovered by the silicone patch increases the thickness of the body of thegasket and the length of the channel aperture in the gasket member, byapproximately 0.004 inches to 0.008 inches. When the channel aperture inthe gasket member is in registration with the outlet port in one matingsurface and the inlet port in the other mating surface, a channel forthe flow of fluid is provided between the outlet and inlet ports of thetwo mated surfaces. Augmented by the polymer patch integrated into thegasket, seals are provided at the ends of the channel aperture forsealing the gasket to the mating surfaces about the inlet and outletports, respectively, for providing a leak proof channel between the twomating surfaces with leak proof seals between the channel ends and theports in the mating surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a representation of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross section view of the invention, represented in FIG. 1,along lines 2—2;

FIG. 3 is a cross section view of the invention, represented in FIG. 1,along lines 3—3;

FIG. 4 is a representation of the invention, represented in FIG. 1, usedbetween a center support and a hub, shown in exploded view; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of the inside end of the hub represented in FIG.4, shown along the lines 5—5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Throughout the drawings identical parts and/or components are identifiedwith identical call out numbers and/or letters. FIG. 1 represents anannular form of the invention with outer circumference 11 and innercircumference 12 defining the width of the gasket 10. The apertures 14a, 14 b and 14 c represent connector means or bolt holes in the body ofthe gasket, which holes register with the holt holes in the surface ofthe respective mating surfaces, more clearly represented in FIGS. 4 and5. A cross section view of the body of the gasket 10, along lines 2—2 isrepresented in FIG. 2. The thickness of the body, as between the arrows15 a and 15 b, is substantially uniform through the body of the gasketexcept for the augmented portion of the gasket, around the channelapertures 20 a, 20 b and 20 c. Each channel aperture 20 a, 20 b and 20c, in the body of the gasket 10 is auglnented by a bead or patch of apolymer material 21, such as silicone, for example. FIG. 3 represents across section of the gasket body 15 a-15 b, augmented with the siliconepatch 21 a-21 b, surrounding the channel aperture 20 a. The periphery,or surface, at each end of the channel aperture, at 22 a and 22 b, forexample, becomes a seal between the gasket and the juxapositionedsurface when the gasket is compressed between two mating surfaces.

The bolt holes 14 a, 14 b and 14 c, or more or fewer than represented,are centrally located in the gasket, with the center of the respectiveholes substantially centered between the inner circumference and theouter circumference. The arcuate position of the respective holes issuch that the bolt holes in the gasket align or register with the boltholes or connector holes in the mating surfaces, which register withcorresponding holes in both mating surfaces. This permits unobstructedpassage through the gasket for the connector means from one surface tothe other surface to connect or couple the surfaces in mating condition.

FIGS. 4 and 5 represent components of a motor vehicle transmission, suchas a center support 40 and a hub 42. The center support has a recessedsurface 41 into which the base end 44 of the hub nests so that therecessed surface 41 of the center support and the surface 45 of the baseend of the hub, mate. This is a typical use for a gasket.

The gasket 10 seats into the recess of the center support on the surface41 and is aligned rotationally so that the bolt holes 14 a, 14 b and 14c register with the bolt holes or connector holes 46 a, 46 b and 46 c,respectively. The hub is seated over the gasket and aligned rotationallyso that the bolt holes or connector means holes 47 a, 47 b and 47 cregister with corresponding bolt holes 46 a, 46 b and 46 c in the centersupport. The channel and seal ports 20 a, 20 b and 20 c in gasket 10align with the fluid flow ports 50 a, 50 b and 50 c in the surface 45 ofthe hub 42 while the fluid flow ports 52 a, 52 b and 52 c in the centersupport 40 align with the channel and seal ports 20 a, 20 b and 20 c inthe gasket, providing individual channels for fluid flow, through thegasket, between the two mating surfaces, with seals between the gasketand the contacting surfaces.

It is apparent that the gasket 10 represented in FIG. 4 is fabricated sothat the bolt holes in the gasket are in registration with the boltholes or connector holes in the surface of the center support 40 andthat the connector holes in the center support 40 are positioned so asto register with the connector holes in the hub 42. Also, the fluid flowports 52 a, 52 b and 52 c in the surface of the center support and thefluid flow ports 50 a, 50 b and 50 c in the surface of the hub end arepositioned to register with each other respectively. Also, the channeland port seals 20 a, 20 b and 20 c are fabricated in the gasket 10′ toregister or align with the corresponding fluid flow ports 50 a, 50 b and50 c and 52 a, 52 b and 52 c, in the mating surfaces. When the centersupport and hub are connected or coupled with the gasket 10′ in between,as represented in FIG. 4, the invention provides a gasket for fillingspace between the mating surfaces with a channel for each of theregistered fluid flow ports in the mating surfaces and seals for each ofthe fluid flow ports in the mating surfaces, providing leak proofsealing and leak proof channels for the mating surfaces.

A threaded bolt 55 is represented in FIG. 4 and represents any connectormeans that may be used to hold the center support, the gasket and thehub connected and in registration. Although a particular use of theinvention is represented in FIGS. 4 and 5, the principles of theinvention are not limited to the particular use and extend to uses withother mating components and/or mating surfaces where there is fluidcommunication between mating surfaces. Compression of the gasket betweenthe two mating surfaces provides leak proof sealing by channel apertureend seals between the fluid flow ports in both mating surfaces and thegasket channel aperture ends, such as at 22 a and 22 b at the ends ofthe channel aperture 20 a, represented in FIG. 3.

In the forgoing description of the invention, referenced to thedrawings, certain terms have been used for conciseness, clarity andcomprehension. However, no unnecessary limitations are to be impliedfrom or because of the terms used, beyond the requirements of the priorart, because such terms are used for description purposes and areintended to be broadly construed. Furthermore, the description andillustration of the invention are by way of example, and the scope ofthe invention is not limited to the exact details shown, represented ordescribed.

Having now described a preferred embodiment of the invention, in termsof features, discoveries and principles changes that may become apparentto those skilled in the art may be made, without departing from thescope of the invention defined ha the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A circular gasket having spaced inner and outercircumferences for filing the gap between hub and center supportsurfaces compromising: a gasket body defining three apertures forconnectors and three channel means for the flow of liquid, a polymermaterial being positioned on the gasket body and defining an augmentedthickness of the gasket body, the augmented thickness being positionedat least in juxtaposition with the channel means and defining a sealingmeans, each aperture defining an inner surface, and having a firstdiameter and each channel means having a second diameter, the seconddiameter being no greater than the first diameter, two of said aperturesbeing substantially equally spaced from the third aperture, and saidthree channel means being spaced between said two apertures.
 2. Thegasket of claim 1, wherein the gasket body is fabricated of anon-metallic material.
 3. The gasket of claim 1, wherein the gasket bodydefines an inner circumference for a shaft.
 4. The gasket of claim 1,wherein the gasket body is fabricated of a material having thecharacteristics of Armstrong NV-519 gasket material.
 5. The gasket ofclaim 1, wherein the polymer is silicone.
 6. A circular gasket forfiling the gap between the hub and center support surfaces in anautomobile transmission comprising: a gasket having an outer and innercircumference fabricated of a non-metallic polymer material and definingthree bolt holes and at least three channels for a liquid, the channelshaving an inner surface, with the three bolt holes spaced around saidgasket, said three channels located between two of said bolt holes andbeing between located substantially midway between the outer and innercircumference and having a diameter which is substantially ¼ to ½ thedistance between the outer and inner circumference, an augmentedthicknesses including a second non-metallic polymer material positionedwithin the first material, the augmented thickness being positioned atleast in proximity with the channels, and the bolt holes have a firstdiameter and the channels having a second diameter no greater than hefirst diameter.
 7. The gasket of claim 6, wherein the augmentedthickness forms a blanket which extends over the gasket.
 8. The gasketof claim 6, wherein the gasket body is fabricated of NV-519 gasketmaterial.
 9. The gasket of claim 6, the augmented thickness is silicone.10. An annular gasket for filling the gap between two mating surfaces, ahub and center support in an automobile transmission comprising: agasket having a body and defining a first side and a second side, thefirst side and the second side being substantially planar, at leastthree apertures and three channel means defined in the planar portion,the gasket body being fabricated of a non-metallic polymer material andan augmented portion blanketing the gasket, with said at least threeapertures and three channels for the flow of oil therein, a polymermaterial defining the augmented portion and wherein said three channelsare disposed between two said apertures.
 11. The gasket of claim 10,wherein said apertures are at least as large as the channels wherein thegasket includes an outer circumference and an inner circumference, thewidth between the two circumferences being approximately two to threetimes larger than the diameter of at least one channel means.
 12. Thegasket of claim 10, wherein the polymer material includes silicone. 13.The gasket of claim 10, wherein the gasket body is fabricated of amaterial having the characteristics of Armstrong NV-519 gasket material.